As a naming and branding agency with specific expertise within the NHS, IE’s taking an interest in this one. A name is a potentially powerful marketing tool that can make or break an organisation. We can all remember the Post Office spending £31million back in 2001 changing its name to Consignia – only to change it back again one year later!

What has come to light with “NHS England” is that there are some fundamental problems surrounding the name and the message that it conveys. One of the key objections being raised is that the word “commissioning” is nowhere to be seen in the board’s new title. An interesting omission considering the role of the board.

“NHS England” seems to imply that the board will have much wider control over the NHS – as opposed to its original remit which is specific to commissioning. The outcome? Misguided public perception of the board and fear within the NHS that it might wield far greater power than was ever intended or imagined.

As a leader in NHS brand consultancy, IE has extensive experience of working within and around the constraints of NHS brand guidelines. We rate the central branding team at the Department of Health.

We recently watched with horror as emerging GP Consortia (as they were then called) spent a great deal of time and money coming up with all sorts of weird and wonderful names and identities for themselves. IE blogged back in May – well before it became public policy – about the extremely sensible rationalisation being imposed upon the re-named ‘Commissioning Groups’ by the Department of Health.

Clinical Commissioning Groups are now required to include in their names the NHS prefix, a geographical description and use of the term “Commissioning Group” in their titles. Differentiation must now, therefore, be achieved through behaviour and design rather than by name alone.

If we liken meeting a brand personality to meeting a real person then exchanging names is clearly an important moment. However, our first impressions will be coloured by their looks, their handshake, how they are dressed, their tone of voice and whether they meet our eye with confidence.

Their true character will only be revealed by getting to know them better, seeing them react under pressure and observing their integrity ‘off camera’.

This is the stuff that excites and exercises the minds of branding experts. Names and logos are only the beginning.